Three minutes into the second half of a game that had rarely threatened to come alive, Kyle Walker looked up and delivered a simple 10-yard pass to Kevin De Bruyne. There was space on the right, and this seemed like the most straightforward opportunity to kickstart the action. No one would have thought twice about such a routine combination near the halfway line between two teammates who, after countless rehearsals, could execute this move blindfolded. The pass was intended for De Bruyne, but it never reached him. It went out of play, with no opposition pressure to blame, leaving everyone to wonder how things had come to this. How had two brilliant, consistently reliable veterans of Manchester City’s dominant era become so paralyzed that they botched a move they had perfected over seven years?
What a night it turned out to be for Juventus, whose rougher edges seemed better equipped to heat up the game. City, playing as if from a fading memory, appeared stale and one-paced compared to the hosts, who understood the value of deviating from the script. It was perhaps Federico Gatti, the least glamorous player on the pitch, who best embodied this spirit and introduced the spontaneity that elevated the match beyond the ordinary. This is not the Juventus of old, but there remains a sense of weight, gravitas, and seriousness in their home and its surroundings. On a clear, icy December night by the Alps, one could almost recall the more significant clashes when Europe’s elite were routinely ground down here. The team no longer boasts Del Piero, Zidane, Chiellini, Platini, Buffon, or even Conte, but there is a sense that history favors you on this stage when you sense weakness in your opponent—a feeling City had worked so hard to cultivate before finally lifting the trophy last year.
Perhaps Gatti, a 26-year-old center-back who had not played above Italy’s third tier until 2021, was channeling that confidence when he carried the ball into City’s half, laid it off, and continued forward. Until then, Gatti, known for his blocks and scraps, had simply shown more commitment to the 50/50 challenges than Erling Haaland. But now, he was waiting in a striker’s position to unleash a powerful volley that was too much for Ederson, eventually allowing Dusan Vlahovic, thanks to Josko Gvardiol’s lax defending, to capitalize. Gatti had done what none of City’s star-studded lineup could muster: break the script, disrupt the rhythm, and add a spark to the game. City had been too slow, too predictable, with their only moment of genuine quality coming when De Bruyne beautifully set up Haaland for a dink that Michele Di Gregorio read well. And there was another example: Di Gregorio, brave and sharp throughout, had not played above Serie B until 2022.
Juve had the heart and the inherited understanding of what it took to succeed. At this rate, Francisco Conceição might even beat his father, Sergio, to a stint in Premier League management. He outmuscled Rico Lewis early on through sheer determination and was the kind of constant, buzzing, sometimes erratic but always present threat that City’s overthought approach lacked. There were flashes from Jérémy Doku, including a driven cross that begged for an equalizer after Vlahovic’s goal. Other attempts to mix things up, like a first-half back-heel from Jack Grealish that only caused confusion with Bernardo Silva, fell flat. When Ederson hesitated for five seconds before clearing the ball toward Haaland, who might as well have been a hologram, he didn’t anticipate his teammate remaining stationary.
Weston McKennie sealed City’s humiliation with a jubilant, crashing finish after Timothy Weah’s precise delivery. In isolation, losing here is not a source of shame, but it’s clear that City are in disarray. It would be a remarkable story if this team, among those expected to thrive in the more forgiving Champions League format, were to crash out next month. The upcoming visit from a similarly struggling Paris Saint-Germain now carries a very different, potentially more significant, edge compared to their 2021 semi-final meeting. With just one win in their last 10 games, confidence, as Ilkay Gündogan suggested, appears shattered. Pep Guardiola ran his hand across his head after McKennie’s decisive goal. At least he avoided injury this time, but it’s becoming a familiar sight. La Vecchia Signora had clearly dominated the night. For City, the fat lady may soon be singing.
Source link: https://www.theguardian.com
